Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Voted UK’s Most Innovative New Product of the Year
SEATTLE, May 20, 2009 - Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ:SBUX) announced that Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew has been voted the UK's "Most Innovative New Product of the Year" following an industry-wide survey by Allegra Strategies1.
Darcy Willson-Rymer, managing director, Starbucks UK and Ireland, addressed Allegra's UK Coffee Leader Summit in London on the coffee industry's joint responsibility to local and coffee growing communities, commenting that, "Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew has been more than 20 years in development, and realizes our desire to produce a coffee that replicates the body and flavor of Starbucks® coffee in an instant form. It was a significant move for Starbucks and this recognition by industry peers validates our belief in this innovation."
Unlike many instant coffees, Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is created using a unique, natural roasting process. While some instant coffees use lower-quality coffee beans and add chemicals and by-products, Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is made using an innovative (U.S. patent pending) process which transforms the same high quality arabica beans used in all Starbucks coffee into a great instant coffee combined with microground coffee, giving it that same rich and full-bodied flavor customers expect from Starbucks brewed coffee.
In the U.S. Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is available in Illinois and Seattle-area Starbucks stores, available for national distribution by ordering at StarbucksVia.com (U.S. shipment only) and also at select Costco and Target stores in Seattle and Illinois. Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is also available in 32 Starbucks coffeehouses in West London and is available on the UK-based easyjet airline on flights from Newcastle, Stansted, Gatwick and Madrid.
Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is made by adding hot (or cold) water to a cup, which brews the coffee in an instant. Portioned into single-serve sachets, Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is sold in packs of three or twelve and customers can choose between two varieties - medium bodied, nutty Colombia and bold, rich Italian Roast.
Later this calendar year or early next year, it is intended for Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew to be available in other markets around the globe, online and in grocery.
Editors Notes:
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality arabica coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com.
1 Allegra Strategies is a London-based management consultancy and has accurately predicted trends in the UK branded coffee shop market since 1999. Allegra is recognized as one of the global leaders in coffee sector and foodservice research. 126 industry executives were surveyed by Allegra between 15 April and 1 May 2009. A further 20 company executives were interviewed to gather information on latest store numbers.
